Chief Pharmacist

Integrated Care System; Northampton; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Northampton is looking for an experienced Chief Pharmacist to lead pharmacy services and the medicines optimisation agenda. The role involves strategic leadership, ensuring compliance with standards, and supporting innovative service delivery in a dynamic environment. Candidates should have significant experience in a senior pharmacy management role along with relevant qualifications. This position offers career development opportunities in a supportive setting.

Qualifications

• Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Extensive post-registration experience within a hospital setting.
• Significant experience in a senior management role within pharmacy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational and strategic services for Medicines Optimisation.
• Ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with stakeholders in the health and care system.

Skills

Registered Pharmacist

Postgraduate Management qualification

Clinical diploma/MSc

Operational decision-making

Training development

Education

MPharm Degree or equivalent

Job description

Go back Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Chief Pharmacist

The closing date is 08 August 2025

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Chief Pharmacist to lead our pharmacy services and medicines optimisation agenda. This is an exciting leadership role in a rapidly expanding Mental Health, community and secured services Trust.

The Trust has recently brought its medicines supply service "in-house" and so this pivotal role, offers the opportunity to shape the future of both safe, effective, and innovative medicines use and the medicines supply delivery in a dynamic and supportive environment.

Main duties of the job

As Chief Pharmacist, you will:

Be the Trust operational and strategic lead for Medicines Optimisation,

Provide strategic and operational leadership for pharmacy services.

Ensure compliance with all statutory, regulatory, and professional standards in relation to medicines and pharmacy services.

Lead the ongoing development and implementation of the Trust's Medicines Optimisation Strategy.

provide pharmaceutical and medicines management advice to the Trust Board, including assurances of good medicines governance.

Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders across the health and care system.

Support innovation in service delivery, including deployment of EPS, cross-sector integration and the expansion of the Trust research portfolio

About us

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools.We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning to improve the care and safety of our patients and staff, which focuses on people who enable our Trust to be 'outstanding' by supporting opportunity, innovation, development and growth.

Job responsibilities

As Chief Pharmacist, you will:

Be the Trust operational and strategic lead for Medicines Optimisation,

Provide strategic and operational leadership for pharmacy services.

Ensure compliance with all statutory, regulatory, and professional standards in relation to medicines and pharmacy services.

Lead the ongoing development and implementation of the Trusts Medicines Optimisation Strategy.

provide pharmaceutical and medicines management advice to the Trust Board, including assurances of good medicines governance.

Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders across the health and care system.

Support innovation in service delivery, including deployment of EPS, cross-sector integration and the expansion of the Trust research portfolio

Person Specification

Experience

• Registered Pharmacist General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• MPharm Degree or equivalent Pharmacy qualification
• Postgraduate clinical diploma/MSc relevant to the NHS or equivalent experience
• Postgraduate Management qualification relevant to the NHS or equivalent experience
• Evidence of commitment to continuing professional development
• Extensive and demonstrable post-registration experience within a hospital setting
• Significant experience working in a senior management / leadership role within pharmacy
• Current membership of Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Membership of Royal College of Mental Health Pharmacy
• Experience of developing and monitoring contractual standards and service level agreements
• Experience of business planning, project and management, budget setting and financial management

Skills and Abilities

• Take operational decisions to ensure an effective service
• Ability to provide professional leadership and day to day management within the medicines management team
• A broad technical and pharmaceutical knowledge relating to the promotion of high quality, effective and cost-effective use of medicines
• Act as an autonomous practitioner in the delivery of a full clinical pharmacy and medicines management service. Practice within standard operating procedures in accordance with professional standards and national guidance
• Experience of developing and delivering training packages for staff and service users

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust